The Thief, the Citizen and the Recruit
by MangaPirate
Summary: 3 siblings scattered around the world. Each walking down a different path in life. Each connected to the other through letters sent across the sea. When Whitebeard's War causes a shift in the world, each sibling is faced with a choice. Will they take it? Or will they be crushed in the bloody battle for power?
1. Thief: Chapter 1

The clouds moved in front of the moon, casting the entire city in shadows. Two figures sat crouched on a rooftop, hidden from the streets below. The young man and woman were dressed in dark clothes and were watching a large building intently.

"Okay newbie, pop quiz. How many guards are standing between us, and our target?" Anthony asked looking at his partner.

Mariko pushed a lock of her black hair away from her face. "In total or who we'll have to get past?"

"How many we're going to have to deal with."

"I'd say…7?"

Anthony smiled. "Seems about right, looks like you're getting the hang on this."

"Well I have been working on it for what, 4 years?"

Anthony's grin widened. "All thanks to your brilliant teacher no doubt."

Mariko rolled her dark purple eyes. "So what's the plan?"

Anthony's dark eyes flashed in delight. "Simple my dear pupil, we'll be making our grand entrance from the window on the east side of the building, sneak around, find the toy and leave before anyone notices."He shook his head in mock disappointment. "Honestly, I don't see why I need to explain the obvious to you."

Mariko sighed. "I still can't believe that we're breaking into a toy factory for some spoiled little brat."

"Ah, but we're not just talking about some run-of-the-mill toy factory. This is Wapol Industry's main building, the place where the CEO personally oversees the newest toys in his production line."

"I've never even heard of this company until we got the job."

"It's new, and becoming _very _popular. You should read the paper more often."

"I'll keep that in mind when we're done here."

"Alright, I'm going to head down. You know where the Surveillance Den Den Mushis are, right?"

"Yeah, there's enough in here to rival some smaller marine bases. You're going to run into about 6 before you hit the target. Then you'll have to pass 4 on your escape route."

"How long do you think you can block the signals?"

Mariko hesitated. "I've been practicing on the one you bought, but if I had to guess, you have 10 seconds at best."

Anthony narrowed his eyes. "And what the worst?"

Mariko looked at her shoes. "Half of that."

Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose and held up a hand to stop his assistant from speaking. "Right. Well, nothing to worry about. I am, after all, a master thief and I've had to deal with worse before I had you." He sighed. "Just stick to the plan, if I sense panic coming from you, I'll know how much time I have left before it all goes to shit."

Mariko nodded and watched Anthony sneak down to the next roof top. He seemed like a shadow himself, moving to the ease and silence of someone who had spent his entire life relying on his stealth.

She stretched her leg out and got comfortable. The rooftop they'd chosen was the perfect starting point, close enough to see the factory but far enough for anyone to catch them on tape. She closed her eyes and let her power close up around her.

It had been 4 years since Anthony had brought her into the life of a thief. He'd been interested in her Devil Fruit ability which he'd affectionately nicknamed the Sound-Sound Fruit. She could control sound waves and Anthony took full advantage of her abilities. They'd figured out she could wiretap and interfere with the Den Den Mushi signals, which was why she was sitting on a rooftop as support while Anthony was down below. In exchange for her help, he was teaching her the color of observation Haki, which she found as a more advanced version of her Devil Fruit ability to use sonar radar.

She did her best to block out the presences of the people down below on the streets, hurrying to get home to their families. With her Devil Fruit ability, she could feel the transmission waves coming from a Den Den Mushi in one of the apartments nearby. It gave her a headache having all the waves and presences being soaked into her mind. She focused her mind primarily on Anthony, the factory guards and the Den Den Mushis scanning the perimeter for intruders.

She felt Anthony getting close to a camera and pointed her figure at the factory. She unleashed small waves from her fingertip and felt it mix in with the transmission signals. She smiled, the Den Den Mushi must be confused by now and sending blank images to whatever monitoring room they had. She felt Anthony move beyond the camera's view and cut her interference.

She smiled in satisfaction and got ready for the next shot.

**-"~"-**

Anthony took another swig of his bottle and smiled. Their target, the latest Wapol toy, set to be released in a few months sat on the table in front of him.

He looked over at his assistant with a grin. "See? Piece of cake! And you did a great job! I bet the guards are checking the snails for a cold or something."

Mariko nodded pretending she'd heard him and kept reading the newspaper.

Anthony frowned. "You keep reading that article and putting a damper on my fun. I know I told you to be more aware about what's going on with world but I didn't mean tonight! We're almost finished the job, who cares what's happening with the rest of the world right now?"

Mariko sighed. "I care, the shit's about to hit the fan with enough force to knock out half of the New World. 'Fire Fist' is scheduled to be executed in a few days and the whole world is on standby for when Whitebeard makes his move." She looked up from the paper and looked at her boss steadily. "Don't think this doesn't affect us too! We're supposed to drop off that stupid piece of junk to one of the nobles who lives on Shabondy. That's sitting right next to Marineford where the execution is!"

Anthony laughed bitterly. "I heard they're going to set up these huge screens so that the 'good people' can watch it in style." He snorted. "What's this world come to?"

She shrugged. "Either way, I'm glad we're going a few days before the execution. It's going to be a nightmare with all those people. The whole world's going to watch this."

Anthony emptied his bottle and reached for the next one. "What does your brother think of all this?"

Mariko frowned. "In his last letter he said that the marines at the base are going nuts. It seems that even in the North Blue, they're getting orders to get ready for pirates. Whether Whitebeard wins or loses after this mess, you can be sure that the ocean's going to be flooded with pirates."

Anthony looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "And your sister?"

Mariko kept her voice casual. "I'm not sure, I haven't heard from her in a while."

A scratching sound at the window stopped whatever question Anthony was about to ask. Mariko jumped out of her seat and opened the window with enthusiasm. A small cat with fur as black as the night looked up at her with eyes as golden as a harvest moon.

"Little baby! Are you cold, sweetheart?" She cooed reaching for her pet.

The cat leapt away from the grabbing hands with such agility that Mariko almost fell out of the window. The cat shot her a disgusted look that seemed to imply that there was no way that it would tolerate such foolishness. With great dignity, the cat purposely ignored its owner and hopped up onto Anthony's lap.

Anthony laughed and scratched the cat behind its ear.

"Why she likes you more than me I'll never understand." Mariko glared at her friend accusingly. "Arasoi is _my_ cat and you don't even feed her!"

Anthony shrugged as the cat affectionately purred. "What can I say? My unnaturally high sexual attraction transcends even species."

Mariko looked at him in shock, completely speechless.

Anthony smirked and gently picked up Arasoi and placed her on the floor before standing up himself. "Anyways, I'm feeling mildly drunk and it's time to use that attraction to get me some bitches."

Mariko shook her head slowly. "I can't believe I put up with you."

Anthony laughed and threw on his jacket. "I'll be back by tomorrow afternoon, don't wait up."

Mariko rubbed her temples and heard the door close. She knew that no matter how loud and how long she'd listen to her music, her ears would never be clean again.

She sighed and took out a piece of paper and a pen and began her long overdue letter to her sister.


	2. Citizen: Chapter 1

**Hello everyone. Look at me! Suddenly becoming productive again! Hopefully this chapter will give me the motivation to start writing again! **

**Chopper hugs to:**

**SniperKingSogeking0341, 10****th**** Squad 3****rd**** Seat, (An known Anon, thank you for reviewing!), Arrowachi and Girl-luvs-manga**

**-"~"-**

The sun was warm against her back as Keiko walked along the stone path leading back to her dorm. She casually reached into her pocket for the familiar lump, assuring herself that she had not forgotten her keys in one of her classrooms. She passed by some classmates whom she gave a quick wave to before hurrying on her way.

She stopped outside of her room to pull out some letters from the small box outside of her room. She opened the door and slipped through it as she flipped through her mail. She dropped her bag filled with textbooks on the ground and threw the letters on her small desk, all but one. She sat down and opened the letter in question with a smile.

"_My dear sister," _it began, _"things are going well. I'm coming close to graduating from a wooden sword to a real one, assuming that I'm reading the hints my superior has been giving me for the past few days. It's busy here at the base, there are new marines coming and going every day. _

_There are rumors floating around that some of us may be deported to other islands to increase security at other bases. The execution of "Portgas D. Ace" is closing in and I can feel the tension even from out here in the North Blue. _

_Also, I got a letter from Mariko and few days ago. She seems to be doing well and she mentioned she might be leaving for another island in the next little while. I hope that if she does move, she does so quickly. The seas are looking awfully dangerous these days. _

_I hope things are going well with your studies. Mom and Dad are wishing you luck as well!_

_I hope to hear from you soon, Tetsuo"_

Keiko frowned when she read the part about Mariko. She had not heard from her sister in some time and wondered if something had happened. It wasn't unusual for Mariko to be late with her letters, but for the past few months they seemed to lag further and further. She had messaged Tetsuo about it and they both wondered what on earth their big sister might be up to.

It was never quite clear what Mariko did for a living. They knew she travelled frequently and never stayed in one destination for very long. She would occasionally send them small gifts that she had picked up that may give some indication of where she was but they told little of where she might go next.

Keiko often wondered that if her sister were less restless, if she would have stayed at the Academy. Her sister had lasted all of 2 years before packing her bags and heading off for adventure.

There had been little surprise when the news reached the small island they had grown up on. Although it was the Mayor's child, the village had seen each sibling grow up and knew that if one of the children were to get up and go, it would be the oldest daughter. There had been some concern with the youngest, Tetsuo, who would follow Mariko like a puppy. However all that vanished when the boy expressed an interest in the navy and a military career.

As for Keiko, she cared little for travel and conflict. She preferred the company of books and the pursuit of knowledge. She hoped that one day she would take her father's place as mayor of the little island she so dearly loved. Until then, she dutifully attended her classes and was well liked by her peers and teachers alike.

Keiko was happy with her small and planned out life.

She folded the letter and slid it into a file she kept under her desk and made a mental note to reply the next day. She looked warily at her books. She ran through her mental list. She was caught up in all her classes, maybe even a little ahead. Surely she could have a night to herself?

She threw herself onto her bed and reached out to grab the latest book she had bought from the bookstore. She settled in for a well deserved quiet evening.

**-"~"-**

It was the shouts that woke her from her sleep. If those unknown classmates hadn't voiced their terror and disbelief, she would have continued sleeping.

The lights from outside her bedroom window painted her room in a hellish red light. She checked her clock and saw that the sun was still several hours from rising. She ran to her window to see what light was strong enough to turn night into day.

Flames danced and kissed the air below her window. Her eyes stared at the flames in horror. Had she been more level headed, she would have looked up and seen the same glow from the distance, as though the whole island had been set on fire.

"Keiko!" Someone below screamed. Keiko looked down and saw a girl whom she vaguely remembered from one of her classes. "You need to get out of there!"

She didn't need to be told twice. She was about to leave when she remembered the file. Although they were just sheets of paper with ink, they were her only connection with her siblings. She grabbed the file and hid it under her shirt as she flew out of her room.

There were others in the hall, frantically trying to escape the impending flames. Keiko ran with them, hoping that one of them knew a path to safety.

Years of practice fire drills lead the group to the door that lead to the courtyard. Their teachers had always told them that when a real fire occurred, you were to leave the building calmly and quickly. At least they had the "quick" part down. The group was in chaos, every student trying to get out the fastest. Several times, Keiko had to adjust her pace to keep up with the mob. She knew that if she slowed down, she would be trampled.

After what seemed like hours, she was pushed out of the building. Outside was no better. There were people everywhere. Some tried to put out the fire while others ran for what they might have hoped was safely away from the madness.

Keiko felt a sharp pain in her feet and remembered that she hadn't put on any shoes. She noticed several others were still in their pajamas and was suddenly thankful that she had fallen asleep in her clothes.

She heard screams and shots rang out. She instinctively ran for cover. Why were people shooting? Then, out of the corner of her eye she saw them.

Their skin was dark and scarred from a thousand days work in the sun. Their eyes shone with bloodlust that combined with the flames gave the impression of windows into hell. Daggers, swords and guns were held in muscled hands, waiting for their prey.

Keiko paled and tried to hide herself the best she could. She prayed it was a dream, but the cold stone beneath her feet and the ashes stinging her eyes were enough to keep her firmly anchored to reality.

Pirates were attacking the Academy.


End file.
